Arab League calls on EU to recognize state of Palestine
An Arab League official called on the European Union (EU) to urge its members that have not yet recognized the state of Palestine to take this step as soon as possible.
Saeed Abu Ali, Arab League assistant secretary-general for Palestinian affairs and occupied Arab territories, said this step would protect the two-state solution, which is the only way to achieve regional peace, stability and security.
It reflects the Palestinians’ right to establish an independent and sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital, he added during a meeting with Christian Berger, head of the EU delegation to Egypt, at the League headquarters in Cairo.
Abu Ali briefed Berger on the latest developments in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the organization’s position on various relevant issues.
He expressed the League’s appreciation of EU efforts to resume the peace process and hailed the European support for the Palestinians and their legitimate rights.
He further called on the EU to exert pressure on Israel to comply with the principles of international law and UN resolutions and accept the 2002 Arab peace initiative.
He told Berger that the ongoing preparations for holding legislative and presidential elections in Palestine reflect the people’s keenness to exercise their democratic right to choose their representatives.
He stressed the importance of the European monitoring of the elections and the need to exert pressure on Israel to allow Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem, to participate in the polls.